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Tim

@timisstuck.bsky.social

800 followers 200 following 230 posts

Executive Editor at Life Science Alliance. I help decide how biology thinks 🤔 Views are my own and do not reflect editorial policy. www.timfessenden.com

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Tim @timisstuck.bsky.social · Apr 24

I tried to cram a lot into this little editorial! Excited and grateful to be in this role, and (dare I say) optimistic for the future.

Life Science Alliance @lsajournal.org · Apr 24

In this editorial, our new Executive Editor @timisstuck.bsky.social shares his vision for the journal. In the midst of systemic changes in research funding and publishing, LSA strives to lower barriers to publication and meet authors where they are.
www.life-science-alliance.org/content/8/5/...

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Reposted by Tim

EMBO @embo.org · 1d

Learn all things #cytoskeleton #research in an interdisciplinary environment at EMBO Workshop "Structure and Function of the Cytoskeleton" in Paris, FR, 7–10 April 2026.

Deadline: 20 December 2025

https://meetings.embo.org/event/26-cytoskeleton
#EMBOCytoskeletalFunction #EMBOevents #conference 🧪

Structure and Function of the Cytoskeleton

The cytoskeleton, a dynamic and intricate network of protein filaments, is found within the cytoplasm of all cells, from bacteria and archaea to complex eukaryotes. This essential cellular component …

meetings.embo.org

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Reposted by Tim

Kate Cavanaugh @katecavanaugh.bsky.social · 7d

See this? This = implanting mouse embryo. Usually this happens inside its mother and is invisible to us, but we can actually watch implantation ex vivo with the hope of understanding why implantation goes awry in embryos of older women. A 🧵...

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Reposted by Tim

Aguirre-Ghiso Lab @jaguirreghisolab.bsky.social · 10d

Are 90% of cancer-related deaths due to metastasis? Apparently the overuse of this percentage in reviews has created confusion and questioning of whether this is true. The answer, which is as always cancer type dependent, may be in these references that also people claim they cannot find.

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Tim @timisstuck.bsky.social · 12d

I agree completely. Don’t want to cast blame but it seems a lot of scientists joined here but then have done absolutely nothing on this new platform! Lots of profiles with no posts…

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Tim @timisstuck.bsky.social · 12d

This is what we lost with post-Musk Twitter. Such a bummer.

Oded Rechavi @odedrechavi.bsky.social · 12d

It's probably the deterioration of social media (I hope) but i'm exposed to a lot less cool science. It used to feel like a new cool study is being preprinted/published every week, and lately it's rare (at least so it seems). Share a recent study that's worth knowing!

Tim @timisstuck.bsky.social · 13d

Congrats Maik! So glad to see this out.

Maik Bischoff @maikbischoff.bsky.social · 14d

1/12 A very special moment for me! 🎉

My first paper as corresponding author—a @jcb.org Perspective on how contact-based decision-making in collective cell migration can itself encode blueprints for complex patterns and shapes.

rupress.org/jcb/article/...

#cellbio #devbio #science

🧵for details

Cartoon of a speculative heterogenous cell population performing mesenchymal collective cell migration.

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Tim @timisstuck.bsky.social · 14d

great news! A bad thing went away, eventually.

JAMES HEATHERS @jamesheathers.bsky.social · 15d

About fifteen months ago, someone handed me a bad study. Today it was retracted. So far, so normal.

But do I just want to yell at journals and publishers again? Hell no. What could they actually DO to be better at handling this sort of nonsense?

open.substack.com/pub/jamescla...

In Which The Rube Goldberg Machine Behind Retractions Delivers A Limp Payload A Year Late

No, I'm not thinking of a better title.

open.substack.com

Tim @timisstuck.bsky.social · 15d

I don't think journals should punish authors for committing the fatal error of being curious about how cells work.

The lust for preclinical results/therapeutics is also exemplified by @theaacr.bsky.social whose national meeting is now irrelevant if you are focused on fundamental biology.

Tim @timisstuck.bsky.social · 15d

I don't think translational creep is *necessarily* a bad thing. But it is really skewing journals as they constantly chase impact factor.

One person was told by an editor at @cp-cellmetabolism.bsky.social that they are not interested in work that is not translational (!!)

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Tim @timisstuck.bsky.social · 15d

At the CSHL Tumor Biology meeting I had the same conversation with several people:

There are very few and constantly diminishing outlets to publish "cancer cell biology" i.e. basic findings on how cells work that apply to or arise from tumor biology.

This was reiterated to me by several PIs!

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Tim @timisstuck.bsky.social · 15d

Who will I see at @ascbiology.bsky.social #cellbio2025 ???

EMBO @embo.org · 15d

One week left – Sign up now! Early registration deadline closes 30 September for the ASCB | EMBO #CellBio2025 Meeting taking place 6–10 December in Philadelphia, US: www.ascb.org/cellbio2025/... 🧪 #LifeSciences #CellBiology #research #conference

Cell Bio 2023-An ASCB|EMBO Meeting

Network, learn, and collaborate with top cell biologists from around the globe.

www.ascb.org

Tim @timisstuck.bsky.social · 16d

*Last 😅

Tim @timisstuck.bsky.social · 16d

Proposal to make @elife.bsky.social use emoji instead of their very special buzzwords:

“In this 😐 study…”
“This 🤭 work shows…”
“In a ☄️ finding…”

Tim @timisstuck.bsky.social · 16d

😍

Evan Bernick, a finite mode with a smol hooman and a lorg floof @evanbernick.bsky.social · 16d

GUESS WHAT WEEK IT IS

Reposted by Tim

Anders Sejr Hansen @andersshansen.bsky.social · 17d

Asking BlueSky for help: For a review, I am trying to accurately credit the first paper that measured pairwise 3D distances between 2 pieces of DNA on the same chromosome (or cosmid). Is Trask 1989 the first?
I know of earlier single-locus papers (1982).
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

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Tim @timisstuck.bsky.social · 18d

Lady day here #cshlcancer @cshlmeetings.bsky.social

Congrats to @lsajournal.org travel award winner Debolina Ganguly from Judith Agudo’s group!!

Debolina is exploring how tissue-specific differences in antigen presentation can modulate the systemic immune response. Excellent talk!!

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Tim @timisstuck.bsky.social · 19d

Congrats to @lsajournal.org travel award winner Jess Hebert from Monte Winslow’s group!!

Jess presented innovative new mouse models (already available at @jacksonlab.bsky.social) to engineer complex genotypes that modulate cancer metastasis.

Presented here #cshlcancer @cshlmeetings.bsky.social

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Tim @timisstuck.bsky.social · 19d

It’s literally the only way we will find out!!

Oded Rechavi @odedrechavi.bsky.social · 19d

Only single cell sequencing of the all these post docs will reveal why

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Tim @timisstuck.bsky.social · 20d

It is. By now journal editors have hopefully given this some thought (if not they’re honestly not doing their jobs)

But reviewing preprints, itself somewhat new, certainly needs guidance.

Tim @timisstuck.bsky.social · 20d

Spending a few lovely days at @cshlmeetings.bsky.social for the tumor biology meeting. My second time here for this meeting, highly recommend!

Tim @timisstuck.bsky.social · 20d

Full results from this survey by @ioppublishing.bsky.social here:

ioppublishing.org/ai-and-peer-...

AI and Peer Review 2025: Insights from the global reviewer community - IOP Publishing

AI and Peer Review 2025 Insights from the global reviewer community Introduction The last few years have seen a rapid increase in the use of consumer generative AI in almost all industries. Large lang...

ioppublishing.org

Tim @timisstuck.bsky.social · 20d

Exploring the best practices on AI in peer review (for preprints in this case) is sorely needed.

Author views seem polarized on use of AI in peer review more broadly. See discordant survey results for physicists:

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Reposted by Tim

Ajai Dandekar @ajaidandekar.bsky.social · 22d

Somehow I missed this tentative but important news -- extension of the NIGMS MIRA (R35) mechanism

simpler.grants.gov/opportunity/...

Opportunity Listing - Maximizing Investigators' Research Award

Read detailed information about this funding opportunity.

simpler.grants.gov

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Tim @timisstuck.bsky.social · 22d

Of course I followed up to confirm exactly what revisions we felt were needed, with a clear rationale.

I thanked this author for their candor, as valuable and rare feedback on how we communicate.

But their tone hurt. It did not convey "great respect for the work of editors."

Tim @timisstuck.bsky.social · 22d

This one hurt especially because the offer was made by a new editor, who is doing admirably in a difficult role.

This person is still learning the art (yes! an art!) of balancing scientific rigor with lowering barriers to publishing that we all know too well. Tricky work for any editor!

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